My mother always says, “Don’t let your mouth write a check that your ass can’t cash.”
That’s some very sound advice straight from the mouth of a very tough but sweet church-going English teacher who once took a switchblade off a kid in her classroom and, years after her retirement, still commands respect as one of the toughest teachers who ever walked a hallway in Hamilton, Ohio once also known as Little Chicago.
Which somehow brings me to Miami, Florida, Trick Daddy and his current out-of-left field, and patently absurd, beef with Meek Mill.
Trick Daddy performed what I and a few others on Twitter concur to be a WWE Rage vid in response to a Meek Mill interview. Mill’s interview is fairly mild. Meek Mill basically said, if you’re going to spend money, party up like it’s 1999 (Prince, May he Rest in Peace), buy a chain, ride a four-wheeler, rent a yacht, and live it up. If you’re not ready to live that grown up lifestyle yet, have some fun, but there’s no need to measure your wallet or your dick size by the size of your weapons and the largest clips you can buy.
That’s a long winded version of what he actually did say, but in America, where gun violence is nearly seen as a necessary evil, a rapper in hip hop culture espousing “diamond chains” over “100 round clips” is patently refreshing.
Trick Daddy, however, went on a mini rant that took issue with a call for more partying, less shooting and declared himself to be, and I quote, “a rootin’ tootin’ shootin’ cocaine cowboy.” Trick Daddy seemed to feel that a recent breakup with a woman has Meek Mill in his feelings and is basically responsible for this more reflective attitude rather than the violent one Trick Daddy seems to think is de rigor for hip hop. Trick Daddy ends his rage vid with a warning banning Meek Mill from Miami, telling Mill, “Your visa has been revoked.”
Twitter, ever prescient and initially amused by Trick Daddy’s video, as usual, became reflective. If Trick Daddy regards himself as the guardian of Miami, then why choose to go in on Meek Mill, rather than say, go after George Zimmerman who murdered Trayvon Martin and who no one in America has any use for whatsoever.
This seems to be Trick Daddy’s “Y’all finished or y’all done?” moment, reminding me of way back in 2016 (Prince, The Year of his death, May he Rest in Peace) when Birdman unnecessarily challenged the hosts of the Breakfast Club to “Put some respeck on my name.”
At the time, DJ Envy, quite reasonably considering the circumstances, asked Birdman, “Why challenge the radio guy?” going on to point out that the likes of a seriously more dangerous but fine as hell Rick Ross and, bringing it back full circle, Trick Daddy, had appeared on that very morning show at one time or another and had criticized Birdman directly. That being the case why threaten to almost kill the messenger?
So, it seems, Trick Daddy, up until this mini-rant, actually had “some respeck on his name.” Now he just seems like another has been fading into realm of washed up rappers advocating violence in a world that needs less of both. With certain ridiculously famous rappers proving that it’s more than possible to remain, not only relevant but change the game, well into their 40’s, Trick Daddy may have put the last rounds in his career without anyone firing a shot. Juxtaposed against Meek Mill’s recent album release “Wins and Losses” already chalking up points in the “wins” column and regarded as fire, it only makes Trick Daddy seem that much more petty and a little sad.
And with that, glorifying thug culture in hip hop may have just ended with a whimper, and fortunately, not a bang.